Malaysia Replaces Face of Flight MH370 Hunt Hishammuddin Hussein

Malaysia's acting transport minister - the country's public face of the so-far unsuccessful search for the missing Flight MH370 - has been replaced. Hishammuddin Hussein led the country's at-times criticized effort to find any sign of Boeing 777 and the 239 people aboard. As part of a Cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Najib Razak, Hishamuddin will lose responsibility for the transport ministry. He had provisionally held the role since it was left vacant last year.

Malaysian authorities have repeatedly come under fire for delays in releasing vital information about the plane's route. In April, angry relatives of passengers aboard the jet held Malaysia Airlines workers hostage for almost 11 hours at a Beijing hotel. And 350 family members last month demanded raw data be released for independent analysis amid questions about how the investigation has been conducted. Hishammuddin has brushed off international criticism of his country's investigation. “We have done an admirable job,” he told reporters in March. "I think history will judge us well." Despite the reshuffle, Hishammuddin will remain Malaysia's defense minister.